MESSAGE FROM TODD
I love this time of the year.  The heat is subsiding, Fall is right around the corner, we are back in our "normal" routines, and football is in the air.  Life is good!

Since I last wrote a month ago, I have had several events, all of which went extremely well.  I conducted our first Mastermind Meeting with my business-minded, entrepreneurial clients.  It was a fabulous day of strategically game planning on how to overcome obstacles and challenges in your business to create breakthroughs and success in areas that may currently be limiting your growth and potential.  It was awesome to surround so many great mind-sets in one room and have a "think-tank" for each other.  Check out this month's feature article "Stuck in a Rut...Action Steps to Create Amazing Results in your Life" that stems from this Mastermind meeting.

I also just returned from Las Vegas (Lost Wages) where I presented at the 2007 ACE Symposium.  I just love being around passionate people and this even was no different.  The fitness field is filled with enthusiastic, motivated, and dynamic professionals.  It was great to be around so many awesome people and share my "Sports Skills & Drills for All Clients" and "Boot Camp" program with the hundreds of trainers and fitness professionals in attendance.  I actually enjoyed this trip to Vegas as I didn't lose one dime, I went to bed earlier than I do at home, and met so many great people.

Take a look at the details of this month's teleseminar (September 25th) in the newsletter.  I'll have a very special guest on the line with me, my business mentor, Wayne Cotton.  If you are in the fitness industry or own a business, you do not want to miss this.  If you want to create ACTION steps for your business or your life, don't miss this call.  If you want to create the VISION for where your life is going, please do not miss this FREE call.  Wayne is my man that I have turned to for years and he has agreed to come on the air with me and facilitate the same exercises he's used with me for you.  He is a special human being and I am honored he will be able to share with us.

I'm also very excited for the weekend of September 21-23.  This is my first annual Mind, Body, and Health Retreat in Palm Springs, CA.  Anytime you create an event for the first time it is more work than you can ever imagine.  You want to make it extra special, leave a great impression, have lots of fun, and create a powerful experience for the attendees.  This event is something that I have always wanted to do and it has been a real joy in making it come to fruition.  We have a great group of people coming out and I'm looking forward to facilitating.  If you want to experience this wonderful event and re-energize your passion, vitality, and life, be sure to call this week as there are only a few spots left.

That's it for now.  I hope your health and fitness is back in full swing and you are heeding great attention to the most magnificent machine ever built- you!

Create a great day! 
Todd Durkin

FEATURED ARTICLE: STUCK IN A RUT?
By Todd Durkin
Experience shows me that many entrepreneurs suffer from the same obstacles and challenges: organization, employee issues, generating cash flow or driving revenue, increasing profitability, providing leadership, crystallizing their overall mission and vision of their company and life, and lack of time to name just a few.  Recently, I whisked some of my most successful entrepreneurs and clients away to a beautiful setting on the Pacific Ocean and we had a one day Mastermind Meeting.  This was an opportunity for them to get very specific on their current obstacles and challenges that were preventing them from getting their business or life to the next level.  It also allowed them the time to create a strategic plan to overcome their challenges to improve their performance.  What I discovered in this meeting was that many entrepreneurs have the same fears, challenges, and obstacles in business, marketing, and life.  The great ones have the ability to overcome obstacles and turn them into positives to improve their life.  Here are some of my “Top Teaching Points” that I have gathered to create amazing results and success in your life.

-Commit to a Goal.  Write down a short term goal and put it on an index card.  Than post it in your office or next to your computer so that you see it all the time.  This could be something like “I want to earn an additional $3,000 per month for the next 12 months.  I am going to do this by ….”   Another example could be “I am going to lose 10 lbs in the next 7 weeks.  I will achieve this by working out 5 days per week, eliminating desserts and soft drinks from my diet, etc.”  Goals should be S.M.A.R.T.—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Driven.

-Have specific times that you open your email.  If you find yourself opening emails throughout the day, you probably get diverted from your “To Do List” and “Action List”.  Open your emails at select times and set guidelines for WHEN you will respond to them.  Don’t just always react to emails as they come in.  Again, emails can rob you of your precious time and distract you from accomplishing from tasks that may be more important.

-Create “bubbles” in your schedule that will allow you to get things done.  This could be done daily or weekly.  It might be from 1:00-3:00 pm everyday or from 12 Noon-5 pm on Fridays that you don’t take phone calls, don’t respond to emails, and you shut out the outside world.  This is your time to focus on completing projects that NEED to get done and keep getting put to the back-burner.

-Simplify your Lists.  Maybe have only 10 items on your “Things to Do List” for the week.  Accomplish those items before moving on.  Additionally, how about creating an “Accomplished List” to see all the things you accomplish in a day or a week.

-Prioritize your Lists.  Once a list is created, be sure to prioritize it and take action on the most important items first.  Don’t necessarily take action on the ones you enjoy the most, will be easiest, or take the least time.  Prioritize your list by order of importance and take action on the most pressing items first.

-Use a timer.  I do this all the time in my personal and business life.  I allot a certain amount of time for a project, I set my timer for that amount of time, and that’s all I do on it.  It keeps me on track so I can budget out my time and achieve everything I need to.  Go to the local store, pick up a “cooking timer” and apply it to your business and personal life—it will do wonders!

-Change your environment.  It is amazing what a change in décor  will do for your office or home.  Adding sufficient lighting, green plants, a new piece of artwork, or a waterfall can all do wonders for sprucing up your place and boosting your energy.  Getting rid of papers, purging your files, and organizing and cleaning your environment will all do wonders for your productivity.  We had one Mastermind member that had a Feng-Shui expert came into his office and the next week he brought in several hundred thousand dollars worth of business.  A clean environment promotes a clear mind which fosters productivity, energy, passion, and LIFE!

-Pick your Opportunities.  It is more important to be a strategist than an opportunist.  Make sure all your opportunities fit into your long-term strategy so that you don’t waste a lot of time, energy, and effort on things that aren’t really that important to you.  Focus on 1 or 2 “big-ticket” items or opportunities at a time.  If you have more than that going on, ask or hire help.

-Do What You Do Best and Hire the Rest.  Enough said.

- Workout.  Busy people often have a difficult time getting their exercise in and develop a lifestyle that isn’t conducive for optimal performance or optimal health.  If you want to lose weight, feel great, have energy, and be at your best, you must exercise at least 3 times per week.  Four or Five times per week of exercise (combination of resistance training and cardio) is better but at least 3 days per week will suffice.  This will help you burn stress and improve your overall fitness.  Build it into your schedule, find a workout partner, hire a trainer, attend a class, get some motivational music on your iPod or listen to a motivational CD while doing cardio are all ways to help increase your accountability.

-Get Away.  As my mentor Wayne Cotton would say, “Mellow Yellow” time.  This is absolutely imperative that we get “down time” in our weekly schedule and that you plan for trips, etc in your calendar.  We all like to see “carrots” in the calendar where we can work hard for a while to know that you will be getting a reward at the end.   Plan a trip, a day off, a weekend away, or attend a retreat.  Write it down in your calendar and watch what happens.  Your energy improves just knowing that you have some time “OFF” coming up.  Than when you get there, the time off will refresh, rejuvenate, and re-energize you.   Additionally, you often get clarity about your life when you are “Away” from the daily hustle and bustle of everyday living.  Make the commitment to GET AWAY!

-Try something new and adventurous.  While you don’t need to go bungee jumping or jump out of airplanes to create adventure, it is amazing that when you do something to create an adrenaline rush, it can provoke other areas of your life to wake up and get going also.  If you are feeling flat or in a rut, some of the things you might try include mountain climbing or rock climbing, white-water rafting, sail-boarding, cross-country skiing, going on a “fantasy ski camp” where you can try bobsledding or even better, the “skeleton”.  These are just some ideas but find things that might get your blood flowing.  Sometimes we need those adventures to prompt us on in ALL areas of our life.

-Surround yourself with successful people.  If you want to be successful, one of the best ways to create results in your life is to surround yourself with other successful people.  It doesn’t necessarily matter if they’re in the same field or not.  You are trying to get in the right “mind-set” of a successful person because it is the mind-set that sets the tone for you to create amazing results in all areas of your life.      When all is said and done, much of the success in creating results in your life comes down to this:  commitment, connecting, and conditioning.      Commitment to your clients or customers…Creating the best customer experience you can so they find results.  Regardless of your occupation, we must commit to our client’s and customer’s success.  Also, you must honor and commit to yourself.  Design and set up your environment the way you deserve, organize your space and time that is most conducive for fostering energy.  Commit to “time away” and taking time for you.  Do the best you can with what you have everyday.     Connecting…Reach out to help your clients and customers.  The more you connect with other people, the more successful you will be.  Whether creating a system to write referral cards, thank-you cards, weekly emails, phone calls or you “gift” your customers a small token of appreciation, find ways that you can connect with people and good things will happen.     Conditioning…if you want to be successful, you must be in great shape.  Commit to your routine, commit to exercising more, eating better, having devotional time, and quiet time.  Plan for “mellow yellow” time or “get away” time so that you can re-energize your batteries.      Life is so much about energy.  Having the energy to do what we want, when we want, at a very high level.  When you take some of this information found in the article and apply it to your life, watch what happens to your energy levels.  When your energy is up and your thoughts are clear and concise, your true potential is unleashed.  It is than that you can sit back and be proud of the results that you have created. 

Todd Durkin is a 2 Time Personal Trainer of the Year and Founder of Fitness Quest 10 & Todd Durkin Enterprises in San Diego, CA. He trains people from all walks of life, but is best known for the work he does with over 25 NFL Superstars. He trains the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush, Alex Smith, and Donnie Edwards amongst others. His expert staff of 30 trainers, coaches, and massage therapist/bodyworkers perform over 400 weekly sessions and help educate, motivate, and inspire the world to greater levels of health & fitness. Todd has 17 DVD's on fitness & sports performance and has been featured in many national magazines and media outlets. His ezine newsletter "TD Times" is his way of connecting clients, trainers, coaches, colleagues, and friends from all over the world. He can best be reached through at FitnessQuest10.com, ToddDurkin.com, or by directly e-mailing him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

GUEST ARTICLE: BREAKING DOWN THE WALL
By Ryan Burgess, CSCS, Fitness Quest 10 strength coach
If you were to ask family, friends, co-workers, even random strangers “Do you want to be ‘better’?”, how do you think they would respond?  The majority would most likely say yes.  If you were to follow that up, however, with “what does ‘better’” mean?” and “how will you get there”, it would be much harder to get a clear answer.  Many people like to set goals, but unfortunately few follow all the way through.  The good news though is that in both in my personal and professional experiences I’ve seen many individuals reach heights they never even imagined.  Due to these experiences, I decided to write an article highlighting the best ways you can go about achieving whatever it is you desire!

Set S.M.A.R.T goals
Don't forget to set S.M.A.R.T. Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Sensitive. Instead of saying, 'I want to lose weight', a better way to go about it would be stating “I want to lose 10 lbs over the next 2 months. I will accomplish this by exercising 5 times per week for at least 30 minutes and reduce my snacking after 8 pm.”

Write it down
Something about writing down goals, dreams, ideas, whatever it is, makes it more real. Write down your goal, being as specific as possible. Try to avoid ambiguous terms like “try to get better.” What does the word “try” mean to you? As Yoda once said, “Do or do not, there is no try.” What does “better” mean? This written information should be visible to you daily. Put it at your desk, on the refrigerator, in your car, or somewhere else you can see it and be reminded.

Make it public
You are more willing to stick to goals when you have a sense of accountability to someone else or a group of people. Create a supporting social network that not only knows of your intention to change your behavior, but is willing to help you.  One of the best things I could have ever done in regards to losing my playing weight was make my intentions known during one of our winter staff meetings- it forced me to get serious, because I didn’t want to let my word lose its value.  Get a partner who is working towards the same goals, make a bet, design rewards for attaining your goals, and have fun with it!

Believe!
One of the biggest challenges when striving for greatness is staying positive.  Understand that there will be plenty of individuals trying to fill you with negativity and attempt to bring you down.  Achieving something is hard work- if it was easy, everybody would be great.  To defeat this, you simply have to believe with every fiber of your being that you will achieve whatever it is you want to.  My high school football team during my junior year was predicted to finish second to last in the division.  We didn’t listen to the predictions, believed in ourselves, and eventually went on to win 11 games, a division title, and a state title.  When it came to playing football in college, I literally wasn’t recruited by ANYONE.  Yet I filled myself with the belief that I had more football in me, and was able to walk-on and enjoy a successful career at Colorado State, a Division I school.

Don’t get discouraged with setbacks
You will have challenges.  You will have setbacks.  When I first got to CSU and tried out for the football team, they told me there simply wasn’t room for another offensive lineman.  I regrouped, committed myself even more, and came back faster and stronger for the spring tryouts so that they absolutely couldn’t pass me by.  When it comes to your health & fitness goals, don’t get discouraged when you come along a bump in the road. Whatever the set back may be, just regroup, remember why you set out to achieve what you desire in the first place, and push forward!

Commit yourself to the path, and  Embrace/Become your goal
“Act As If.”  Carry yourself as if you’ve already achieved what it is you want.  Make every action you do from sun up to sun down conducive to reaching whatever it is you want.  If you hit a bump in the road, step back, and ask yourself this question: “Is the immediate gratification of straying from the path to success more important to me than the achievement of my long term goal?”  You should quickly be able to answer that question with an emphatic No, and continue on your journey to greatness!  
 
Ryan is one of Fitness Quest 10’s very own personal trainers and strength & conditioning coaches.  From walking on to play football at a Division I University, to taking a chance at an internship to earn the career he wanted right out of school, to losing over 60 lbs. of his collegiate playing weight in the last year, Ryan continues to set, pursue, and achieve what others tell him aren’t possible. 

ATHLETE'S CORNER: ALLEVIATING KNEE PAIN
"Athlete's Corner" is geared towards the many athletes and parents of athletes that subscribe to TD Times.  This month's contribution comes from Brett Klika, B.S., CSCS, Director of Athletics at Fitness Quest 10.

Q:
My child has been diagnosed with Osgood Schlatter's Syndrome in the knees.  What can I do to decrease pain and keep them playing?

A:
Osgood Schlatter's Syndrome is a very common "growing pain" that affects children during the stage of development in which the leg bones are growing, constantly laying down new bone material, which, when new, is relatively weak.  There is a tendon system that attaches your powerful quadriceps muscles to your kneecap, and continues from the kneecap to an insertion point right below your knee on the lower leg.  Because of this attachment system, when you contract your quad muscles, the tendon attached below the knee makes the lower leg extend, like in a soccer kick.  The problem with Osgood Schlatter's Syndrome is that when the tendon attachment below the knee is on soft, new bone, it can slightly pull the tendon away from the bone a microscopic amount.  The body treats this as an injury, and inflammation and pain sets in.  On top of that, new bone comes in to repair the micro-tear and forms a "bone bump" over time.  Although you can't make this completely go way until after the bones have matured (at the end of puberty), there are a few steps that can be taken to make sure it doesn't get worse.

Strength. 
Aside from frequent icing, strength training is probably the most effective means of decreasing symptoms.  Strength of the glutes, hamstrings, and abductor muscles can help stabilize movement, minimizing and balancing the direct force to the tendon insertion.

Ice after all physical activity. 
This keeps inflammation to a minimum.  If you can handle an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or Advil, those will also help after physical activity.

Make sure to warm up for at least 15 minutes before activity. 
This will help with the pliability of the tendons and muscles, decreasing the degree of injury.

Stretch after exercise. 
Stretching, foam rolling, and massage after exercise help decrease the injury response (pain and inflammation).

Use a "knee donut". 
This basic device helps decrease the amount of direct force at the tendon insertion.

Allow recovery! 
You should have at least 1, maybe even 2 days per week of rest and recovery.  Relax, stretch, get massage, and stop to smell the roses.  Your body needs time to repair from the demands you put on it!

For other questions or feedback, please contact Brett at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

METABOLICALLY SPEAKING
Due to the overwhelming response from the recent information we've provided on Metabolic Testing, we've continued this month with "Metabolically Speaking", a short Metabolic Testing Q&A section.  

Q:
I am a former collegiate athlete, now age 35.  Although I work out frequently, I am not exercising as much as I used to and I'm beginning to lose my muscle mass.  Why and how would metabolic testing help me?

A:
Unfortunately, the old adage "use it or lose it" applies to us all. Over time, the muscles you used during college atrophy and the explosive power you once had diminishes the less you engage your body.  Without the consistency of your college workouts, you are bound to lose some muscle mass which effects the speed of our metabolism.  As we age, our metabolism slows down, and the loss of muscle mass increases the rate at which it slows.
   To limit the loss of muscle mass, I suggest you continue your regular workouts but begin to include some of the explosive power movements you trained with in college.  As an athlete (and exerciser), you need to continue to engage your fast twitch muscle fibers.  Your regular lifting routines may not be enough to increase strength.  Incorporating plyometric exercises and heavier "power" lifts will lead to the use of the muscle fibers you are losing and, in turn, increase your metabolism.
   In order to accurately assess how many calories you should burn during a workout to optimize your "fat burn" and increase your muscle mass, I also recommend participating in an Exercise Metabolic Test.  In addition, the Resting Metabolic test is an excellent way to understand how many calories your body needs daily and how to counter balance those calories with your exercise.  Best of luck to you and keep working hard!

This question was answered by Cara Regas, MA, ATC, Kinesiologist/Personal Trainer/Strength and Performance Coach at Fitness Quest 10.  Cara also conducts Metabolic testing for clients of all ages and activity levels.

COOKING CORNER
By Julie Wilcox, GM of Fitness Quest 10
With football season kicking off, this is one of my absolute favorie tailgate recipes.  I like to serve it with jalapeno cornbread.

Orange-Spiced Turkey and Black Bean Chili
- 1 lb. of ground lean turkey
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle chilies in adobe sauce (Very Spicy!!) *Comes in a can, found in the Mexican food section
- 2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes with mild chilies
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, undrained
- Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro

1. Spray a large non-stick saute pan with olive oil spray; cook onions, garlic and turkey over medium heat for approximately 8-10 minutes.

2. Stir in chilies, tomatoes, orange juice and orange rind.  Stir in beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. (Can be made ahead and reheated)

3. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, and enjoy!

When Prepared
Makes Five 1-1/3 Cup Servings
Calories per serving: 315
Protein: 23 g
Carbs: 26.5 g
Fat: 13 g (4.5 Saturated)

"Cooking Corner" is a monthly contribution from Fitness Quest 10's very own General Manager Julie Wilcox.  Creating and cooking healthy and simple recipes is one of Julie's passions!

INTERNSHIPS & MENTORSHIPS
--- Fitness Quest 10 is always accepting applicants for both our Internship and Mentorship programs.  Our internship program is specifically designed to enhance the educational process of future fitness professionals and expose them to the training methods and culture developed at Fitness Quest 10.  Our mentorship program is taylored more towards current fitness professionals who want to expand their knowledge base and take part in the Fitness Quest 10 experiance.  If you have any inquaries, please e-mail Jay Hebert, CSCS, Director of Operations at Fitness Quest 10 at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

ABOUT TODD
Todd Durkin is a 2 Time Personal Trainer of the Year and Founder of Fitness Quest 10 & Todd Durkin Enterprises in San Diego, CA. He trains people from all walks of life, but is best known for the work he does with over 25 NFL Superstars. He trains the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush, Alex Smith, and Donnie Edwards amongst others. His expert staff of 30 trainers, coaches, and massage therapist/bodyworkers perform over 400 weekly sessions and help educate, motivate, and inspire the world to greater levels of health & fitness. Todd has 17 DVD's on fitness & sports performance and has been featured in many national magazines and media outlets. His ezine newsletter "TD Times" is his way of connecting clients, trainers, coaches, colleagues, and friends from all over the world. He can best be reached through at FitnessQuest10.com, ToddDurkin.com, or by directly e-mailing him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .